Jittery China trains guns on US over its naval strategy

[Ray]

Jittery China trains guns on US over its naval strategy

BEIJING: US defence secretary Leon Panetta's statement that the Pentagon will raise its naval forces so that 60% of its battleships are placed in the Asia-Pacific by 2020 has sent alarm bells ringing through Beijing, with a foreign office spokesman describing it as "untimely" .

In his speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue, a Asia security summit in Singapore, Panetta had said, "By 2020, the navy will re-posture its forces from today's roughly 50/50% split between the Pacific and the Atlantic to about a 60/40 split between those oceans.

That will include six aircraft carriers, a majority of our cruisers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, and submarines."

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters, "All parties should make efforts to safeguard and promote peace, stability and development in the Asia Pacific. The practice of strengthening military deployment and alliances to give prominence to a military and security agenda is untimely."

The People's Daily, the voice of the government, said the move was aimed at containing China. "The US verbally denies it is containing China's rise, but while establishing a new security array across the Asia-Pacific , it has invariably made China its target," it said.

"Opinion across the Asia-Pacific generally does not believe that the United States' strategy of returning to the Asia-Pacific is not aimed at China; it's there plain for all to see," the Daily said.

China's apprehension about Washington's moves, which will encourage its maritime rivals like the Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea dispute, is obvious. At the same time this sense of distrust towards the US might prove to be in India's advantage as China tries to woo New Delhi away from Washington.

Krishna arrived in Beijing Tuesday evening for the twoday meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, seen by many western experts as a powerful political and military platform aimed at countering US influence in international affairs. Russia, China and central Asian countries are full members while India and Pakistan have observer status in SCO.

Beijing is now convinced India cannot be easily manipulated because "New Delhi is driven by its self-interest". This is why Krishna's visit to Beijing and the forthcoming visit by Indian naval ships assume significance.

"However, it cannot be deemed as collaboration of the US and India. India has been pursuing independent foreign policy and mainly considers its own interests," the People's Daily said in another article a few days back. "It's hard to imagine that India will completely follow the foreign policies of the United States," it said.

Jittery China trains guns on US over its naval strategy - The Times of India

China has got good reasons to get jittery.

It is indeed alarming for China, which is competing with the US, to be the prime superpower, suddenly being accosted with the major might of the US Navy when China has still got a Brown Water Navy.

China has still not been able to arm-twist the weaker neighbouring nations over the South China Sea claims, when suddenly the US starts to put obstacles in the way of China to be the questioned power in the Pacific Region.

This obviously, when viewed from the Chinese standpoint, is not very conducive to what she perceives as her birthright to rule Asia first and then the world!

 

[jackhammer2]

China has got good reasons to get jittery.

It is indeed alarming for China, which is competing with the US, to be the prime superpower, suddenly being accosted with the major might of the US Navy when China has still got a Brown Water Navy.

China has still not been able to arm-twist the weaker neighbouring nations over the South China Sea claims, when suddenly the US starts to put obstacles in the way of China to be the questioned power in the Pacific Region.

This obviously, when viewed from the Chinese standpoint, is not very conducive to what she perceives as her birthright to rule Asia first and then the world!

I really have a probelm with the bolded part why should China gets jittery after all that bullying it has done though I am not a supporter of US but this action of their's is really gonna help in keeping China at bay or atleast drawing their attention towards US rather than troubling their neighbours like India and Veitnam.

But in any case US is allready gonna get support of SE asian countries so it hardly matters how much China gonna cry.

 

[Ray]

China is jittery since they can no longer bully.

The bamboo is going up theirs!

 

[amoy]

The Pentagon unveiled a 2013 budget plan that would cut $US487 billion in spending over the next decade by eliminating nearly 100,000 ground troops, mothballing ships and trimming air squadrons in a bid to create a smaller, agile force with a new strategic focus.

Why getting jittery? In the light of the abv mentioned spending cut, how would the US walk the talk of shifting to Pacific? Rather than being played by lesser contestants the US and China shall join hands to fleece them, including encouraging them to buy more US made arms to fund the US's recovery.

Antagonistic as they seem, US and China share more mutual interests like "Yin and Yang" that opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, giving rise to each other. Just for example, top corporations of the US who control the US politics have biz far more deep-rooted in China than in India.

 

[asianobserve]

Why getting jittery? In the light of the abv mentioned spending cut, how would the US walk the talk of shifting to Pacific?

Maybe you forgot that US, Japan, Australia and most major ASEAN countries are in an unformalised military alliance against China. The US partners in the region is fast arming up (arms have never been so much in vogue in Asia as now thanks to China).

 

[s002wjh]

i dont think any conflict will ever occur between US and china, both got alot to lose. even if it did, the most military damage will be done to countries near china not US. of course there is the nuke, and i don't think anyone want to go there.

 

[s002wjh]

I really have a probelm with the bolded part why should China gets jittery after all that bullying it has done though I am not a supporter of US but this action of their's is really gonna help in keeping China at bay or atleast drawing their attention towards US rather than troubling their neighbours like India and Veitnam.

But in any case US is allready gonna get support of SE asian countries so it hardly matters how much China gonna cry.

lol US gonna get support from SE asian, you sound like US get help from them, its quite the opposite. and no china is not bullying its neighbor, if it did, it would already send in warship to show of force not just some cilivan ship.

and if china start war against vietnam tommorow, you think US gonna join, i doubt it. short of total invasion of SK, japan or philippine mainland, US will not start a war with china. and china certainlly is not gonna invade these countries mainland. i think georigia is a good example.

 

[asianobserve]

The Pacific area is entering a Cold War-like state. There may not be much shooting, especially not directly from the major actors, but there will be a lot of positioning and repositioning, posturing, sabre rattling and arms race. However, due to the energy needs of the countries in the region expect some small scale skirmishes mainly between the naval forces of China and smaller Asian countries (not much US direct involvement though) will happen. The trick is how the US can prevent this seemingly benign military confrontations from escalating into major conflicts.

 

[s002wjh]

its nothing like cold war, china nor US consider themself enemy, maybe competitor. both economy are tied. there probably gonna be skirmishes, but nothing major is gonna happen. if it did, i better take out my stock/401ks, cause the market/economy will drop like a stone if there is a conflict between US & china.

 

[jackhammer2]

lol US gonna get support from SE asian, you sound like US get help from them, its quite the opposite. and no china is not bullying its neighbor, if it did, it would already send in warship to show of force not just some cilivan ship

Fine but sending war ships is not the only way of showing aggression isn't it?? there are a lot other ways and sometimes a huge millitary build up can have more disturbing phycological effect than actually showing your muscle to someone . Its just in the recent times you people started giving more importance to the talks for bridging our gaps rather than in the past when you people like to issue things like stapled visa not to mention things like strings of pearls. China is the most powerful country in Asia I think you people start acting in more responsible manner than the usual stubborn nature of your (I am reffering to the way China has moved forward with AP dispute.)

 

[s002wjh]

china does not have a HUGE military build up, check the defense spending of china vs its total GDP, compare to soviet, and US. its normal for any nation reach to a certain economic status then upgrade their military. china military in 80-90s were outdated, most their stuff was 50-60s tech.

and what do you mean my people, i'm an american, this whole issue about china threat is overblown by media. did they build their military like soviet? no, did they send in their navy ship against philippine despite philippine send in their own, and ph is a much weaker force? no. china is using the soft power tactic, it hasn't use its hard power yet. it hasn't went to a war since 80s. so how responsible they suppose to be? a major power bow down to philippin or vietnam on the claim issues? if india, russia, US are in the same position, would they do it? would india bow down to china/india border dispute etc. think about what your country would do before judging others. i'm an american, and if someone claim guantamole bay by cuba, guam etc, well i'm sure most american would support send in our navy to protect it. the SCS are disputed, each country has their own reason, china been a major power usually mean they get bigger slice of the pie, if this was india, russia, US it will be the same outcome.

 

[asianobserve]

china does not have a HUGE military build up, check the defense spending of china vs its total GDP, compare to soviet, and US. its normal for any nation reach to a certain economic status then upgrade their military. china military in 80-90s were outdated, most their stuff was 50-60s tech.

Don't believe everything that the CCP declares, especially not on the total budget of its armed forces.

 

[ice berg]

According to SIPRI it is more or less around 2,1 percent of GDP for the past decade. So much for your theory.

 

[Ray]

The Chinese government's published 2012 military budget is about US$106.4 billion, the second largest in the world and up about 11.2 % from 2011.

The Chinese Defence Budget does not give all the figures and that is a known fact.

 

[Ray]

Due to differences between the countries' budget systems, China categorizes the budget of the 2nd Artillery Corps as the budget of Space Development Rockets, and missile development is included in the Air Science budget.

 

[s002wjh]

Don't believe everything that the CCP declares, especially not on the total budget of its armed forces.

i'm looking at the number of ships they build each year, planes etc. the raw number and its technology can't match US or former soviet. they spend alot on internal policing too. they improve alot recent year but sill lag behind US. china been 2nd largest economy, could have 2nd strongest navy, but its navy/military are far from it.

 

[amoy]

China shall stay cool. That's all in the Art of War by Sun Tzu. When the US is physically in a strategic contraction it makes big noise with fire and smoke for covering the retreat. That's how the journeys of first Clinton, now Panetta came about, whistling "the US is still here in full support of u guys". It's those little guys such as Vietnam and Philippines who get stuck in a dilemma of taking sides - security (the US) and economic development (China).

 

[Ray]

i dont think any conflict will ever occur between US and china, both got alot to lose. even if it did, the most military damage will be done to countries near china not US. of course there is the nuke, and i don't think anyone want to go there.

Three will be no conflict between the US and China.

US will merely act as the Boxing Coach in the WBF Match.

It will be matches between China and others.

China will be in the forefront and will have to bear the losses that happens during Championship bouts.

Even Cassius Clay lost!

US will merely be the Sponsor and will pick up the winnings while the others are bruised and picking up their teeth from the floor!

A Win Win for the US!